1. Technical Field
This invention relates to armor for structures, machines and personnel, and more particularly, to an integrated, layered armor incorporating fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite (FRCMC) material layers and methods for making it.
2. Background Art
Certain types of armor for protecting various structures and machines, as well as body armor for the protection of human beings, has been constructed from monolithic ceramic materials. These materials offer advantages in that they can be extremely hard and light weight. The extreme hardness of ceramic armor has advantages in that incoming projectiles can be shattered on impact. For example, armor made of monolithic ceramic materials is used on tanks to protect against high energy ignition (HEI) rounds. These types of projectiles are designed to penetrate into the interior of the tank before exploding. The monolithic ceramic armor is used to detonate these rounds on impact before they can penetrate the skin of the tank. This ability to detonate the HEI rounds derives from the extreme hardness exhibited by ceramic armor.
Typically, ceramic armor is made up of numerous, flat monolithic ceramic plates or tiles. These plates are sometimes arranged end to end and attached to the surface which is to be protected, such as for example, on the bottom of an airplane or helicopter to protect these aircraft from ground fire. The ceramic plates are also sometimes incorporated into a garment, such as a so called "bullet proof" vest, or other body armor.
Although, armor constructed of monolithic ceramic plates has advantages as described above, it tends to be brittle. Typically, the impact of just one round (i.e. projectile) will shatter an entire plate of the monolithic ceramic armor, even those un-impacted areas of the plate adjacent the impact site. Thus, the entire plate is rendered ineffective against subsequent rounds. In addition, the nature of monolithic ceramic materials and their associated forming methods precludes forming complex shapes or large pieces. Essentially, ceramic armor must be constructed from the aforementioned flat ceramic plates. In the case where ceramic armor is employed on an aircraft, ground vehicle, etc., there can be installation problems associated with attaching numerous flat ceramic plates to a surface that may be curved. In addition, having these numerous small plates attached to an aircraft can increase the aerodynamic drag. Additionally, constructing body armor from flat monolithic ceramic armor plates results in a cumbersome unit which tends to restrict the wearer's movements.
Accordingly, there is a need for armor which exhibits the extreme hardness of monolithic ceramic armor, but which is less brittle, capable of withstanding multiple projectile impacts, and can be formed in large, conformal shapes.
Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide armor which exhibits a degree of hardness which causes projectiles to shatter upon impact, but at the same time exhibits an overall increased ductility so as to facilitate stopping the resulting pieces of the projectile from passing completely through the armor and prevents the shattering of adjacent un-impacted portions of the armor.
Wherefore, it is another object of the present invention to provide armor which can be formed into practically any shape and size desired, so as to be made to conform to the shape of the structure, machine, or even person it is meant to protect.